Careless Actions
by shakinthingsup
Summary: Shane McMahon always felt like the black sheep of his family. How would the family be affected when it all reached a boiling point? Set when Shane was a teenager.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first foray into the wrestling world's fic, although I have been an avid fan for years. I hope you all like this story. Any comments and or suggestions are appreciated!**

**I do not own the characters in this story, much to my dismay. How I would love to have a Shane all to myself. :)**

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Shane McMahon had always been far more sensitive than he wanted to admit.

He watched his father, Vince McMahon, dote on his little sister Stephanie. It didn't matter what she did, his father always bailed her out. He always protected her. The same couldn't be said for Shane. What he got was the complete opposite. Vince always came down hard on Shane. When Stephanie would get hugs, Shane would get his ass kicked. Shane always felt unloved, mediocre. No matter how well he did or how hard he tried, it went unnoticed by Vince.

Shane's mother, Linda, wasn't much better. She was so engrossed in the business dealings in the WWF that she barely noticed Shane. Stephanie was always good at gaining Linda's attention and affections, just like she was with Vince. Linda would drop what she was doing if she felt her little girl needed her. When it came to Shane, however, he was swatted away like a pesky fly.

Stephanie never let Shane forget the fact that he was the forgotton child, either. She would goad Shane into an argument over that very thing at every opportunity. It was always 'Shane, you're not good enough' here and 'Shane, why don't you go jump off a bridge, nobody would miss you' there. When he would become angered enough to raise his voice to Stephanie, there was one of his parents, sticking up for Stephanie. Shane couldn't get a word in edgewise to explain himself. It was simply punishment time.

Little did Shane's family know that it would all come to a head.

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Sixteen year old Shane was sitting around a bonfire in his friend Rodney's backyard, along with his friends Pete and Joey. It was Friday night and Shane had just gotten his driver's license. Rodney had gotten some alcohol from a friend of his who was old enough to buy for the boys. They stayed around the campfire, talking about girls and getting completely drunk out of their minds, until they were out of alcohol.

Shane stood up after a couple of attempts, legs wobbly. "Man, I... I gotta go... m-my dad's gonna kill me!" Shane laughed as he started staggering from the backyard to head home.

Rodney hollered after him, "Get back here you pussy! Jus' stay here... daddy dearest won't know a thing!"

Shane shook his head, pausing briefly with a laugh to regain his balance. "Can't... told 'em I'd be home. Catch y'all later!"

Shane slowly made his way down the street, back to the McMahon home. He gazed up at the house with glassy eyes, noticing that the house was dark. Shane couldn't believe his luck as he giggled to himself, staggering to the front door. He opened the door as quietly as he could in his current state, closing it just as quietly. He was almost home free! It was then that he tripped over a pair of shoes, presumably Stephanie's, falling to the floor with a thud, cursing in what he thought was a whisper, "Gahdammit! Stupid brat!"

In reality it would have woken Vince had he not already been awake. He had been impatiently waiting for Shane to return. He had given Shane a curfew and Shane broke it. This did not sit well with Vince. As Shane slowly pushed himself up to a wobbly vertical base, he heard his father's voice, "What the HELL is wrong with you?"

Shane bit the inside of his cheek; even drunk he knew that tone. "I uh... nothin', dad. Just going to bed..." Shane tried to exit but the back of his shirt was grabbed by Vince, halting his escape.

"I don't think you're going anywhere. Do you know how late it is? I don't have time to mess with this crap from you, Shane! You're practically a man and I still have to treat you like a child. I have an early flight and I'm tired. Then you come strollin' in the door at 1am, drunk out of your mind! I should kick your ass!"

The noise roused both Linda and Stephanie from their beds. They stood at the top of the stairs, watching the exchange between father and son.

"Why do you bother? Its not like you give a damn if I come home or not! None of you do! Go to bed! Nobody asked you to wait up for me! Stay out of my business!" Shane tried to pull away from Vince but to no avail. Instead of getting away, Shane was whirled around and before Vince could stop himself, he'd backhanded Shane in the face.

Vince heard the gasps of his wife and his daughter from the landing, as well as his 10 year old daughter's, "Daddy, no!", his eyes widening as his son hit the floor in front of him. He had never manhandled Shane like that in his life; sure, he'd spanked him a time or two but he had never, ever treated Shane like this. This truth was evident in his son's eyes as well. Shane stared up at his father and Vince felt the pain that was eminating from his son. Vince attempted to reach out to Shane but Shane scrambled away from him, out of reach.

"Stay away from me! Don't touch me!" There was more fear than malice in Shane's voice and it broke his heart.

"Shane-O..." Vince tried, but was cut off by Shane once again.

"Go to hell, Vince! Go back upstairs to mom and your little girl. I'm out of here!" With that Shane was on his feet, scrambling away as quickly as he could, grabbing a set of car keys hanging by the door on the way out.

Vince's eyes were filled with regret and fear as he heard the keys jingle by the front door. He was out the door like a shot, trying to stop Shane before he could take off. Vince was too late; Shane was peeling out of the driveway as Vince got close. Vince ran his hands through his hair, pulling on the dark strands for a moment, calling, "SHANE! NO!"

The black sports car sped off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for the wonderful review I received. It is greatly appreciated. **

**Apparently I am inspired so Chapter 2 came easily. I hope all are enjoying the story so far. **

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Chapter 2

Vince strode back into the house, reaching for the telephone. His wife and daughter were in the foyer as he walked back inside, questioning looks in their eyes. Vince's explanation was short and to the point. "Shane's intoxicated... he took the Camaro... I'm calling the police. He's got to be stopped before he gets hurt."

Linda and Stephanie exchanged a look, then watched as Vince called the authorities in hopes of saving Shane's life. They had both heard the argument between father and son. Did Shane really believe that none of them cared about him? Stephanie was afraid that she would never see her big brother again. Her whispered question shocked both Vince and Linda.

"Daddy, does everybody really hate Shane?"

Vince closed his eyes tightly, shaking his head. "No, sweetheart, we love Shane very much."

Linda nodded her head in agreement. "We could never hate Shane, baby girl."

Stephanie bit her lower lip, looking at the floor. Softly she admitted, "I told him nobody would miss him if he was gone..."

The shocked gaze of both her parents was on Stephanie before she knew what was happening. Linda voiced the question, "Why on earth would you do that, Stephanie?"

Stephanie shook her head, her eyes stinging with tears. "I don't know... I... I heard him on the phone with somebody saying he was the invisible boy. That nobody cared about him. So I told him he should stop crying... that nobody would miss a crybaby like him." Stephanie looked up at her parents, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I didn't mean it! I swear I didn't!"

Neither parent knew what to say in response. Both struggled with the realization that their oldest child thought that he was unwanted; they prayed for the safe return of their son.

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Shane could barely see through the unshed tears in his eyes as he sped out of their exclusive neighborhood, heading quickly to I-95. Surprisingly, his irratic driving did not garner any expected attention. It was by sheer luck that he made it as far as he did without getting into a major accident. The scene at home kept replaying on a constant loop in his mind. He couldn't believe that his father had hit him. In his 16 years, his father had never struck him like that. Sure he'd been punished before but this time it was out of anger. It was the look in his father's eyes, the complete anger and what Shane interpreted as hatred for him. As far as Shane was concerned, all of his sister's taunts, all of the times she told Shane that he wouldn't be missed... he now felt that there was a whole lot of truth to it.

Shane merged onto I-95, heading in the direction of New York City. He took advantage of the long stretch of interstate to put as much distance between himself and his home as he could, testing the limits of speed on this given stretch of road. It didn't take long for Shane to get lost in thought once more, which turned out to be disasterous. The car went off of the edge of the road before he could correct the direction it was headed. Shane slammed on the breaks but it was too late. The car flipped once, twice, three times before it came to a stop on the roof. That was all Shane would remember before he lost consciousness.

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Vince sat awake in his den long after getting his wife and daughter back to bed. Much like his son, Vince replayed the incident in his mind. He cringed every time he got to the point where he had hit Shane. The sight of the fear in Shane's eyes made him sick to his stomach. The boy had been insolent, that much was certain; but Shane did not deserve to be struck in anger. Vince loved his son more than life itself and he had no idea that his daughter of all people had been bent on convincing Shane otherwise.

Vince had been aware of the sibling rivalry between his kids; it was hard to miss. It blew his mind to find out that Stephanie had taken it to such an extreme level. She is ten years old, for goodness sake. What killed Vince even more is to find out that Shane felt there was validity to the accusation. Sure he gave Shane space. The boy is sixteen years old. Vince recalled many times that he had wished he had been given more space. It was a lot easier with Vince traveling as much as he did for the business. Shane had seemed happy as far as he could tell.

Before Vince could contemplate further he was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. Vince grabbed the phone up quickly, answering it almost breathlessly. He hoped it was Shane, asking for his father to come and get him. He hoped it was the police, telling him that Shane had been picked up. "Hello?"

Vince's eyes widened and he lost his breath at the words spoken to him by the state patrol officer on the other end of the phone. His son, his precious son, had been in an accident. With some effort Vince swallowed the bile that had risen in his throat and said simply "I'm on my way."

The phone was dropped; forgotten. After waking his wife and daughter, the family was on the road to the hospital, fear permeating the air in the car. The silence was deafening on the drive to find out the fate of his first born.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you to all who have been reading and especially to those leaving reviews! It makes my day to see them come through. **

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Chapter 3

Vince and Linda sat in the waiting room of the hospital, a sleeping Stephanie on the seat next to Linda, her head in her mother's lap. Vince, meanwhile, paced the small space while they waited on word on Shane's condition. Linda watched Vince sadly, knowing that there was not a thing she could say to calm him. His guilt was written all over his face and Linda knew that it would only begin to heal once he saw that Shane was okay.

Linda had been very angry to take in the exchange between Vince and Shane earlier that night. Shane was clearly out of line, that was no secret; but the way Vince responded to Shane's actions had Linda furious beyond belief. It was all she could do when Vince woke her and told her the news to stop herself from lashing out at Vince. Deep down she knew that it would not help their situation for her to let her emotions get the better of her. Cooler heads needed to prevail... especially for Stephanie's sake.

Three long hours passed before a doctor came into the waiting room to address Vince and Linda. Vince's pacing stopped immediately upon catching sight of the doctor and he walked over, asking abruptly, "My son... how is my son?"

The doctor started out by introducing himself. "Mr. McMahon, I presume?" Vince nodded and the doctor continued. "I am Dr. Masterson and I have been taking care of your son." Dr. Masterson paused; it had been a long four-hour stint in the ER to get Shane stabilized.

Vince opened his mouth to insist the doctor continue when he spoke up again. "I can't say he's out of the woods yet, but your son is holding his own. When he was brought in Shane was in pretty rough shape. He had sustained a head injury, presumably from his ejection from the automobile. It appeared he had not been wearing a seat belt."

Linda closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip; her son could have been killed tonight. It was all she could do to keep the tears at bay. She had to keep her thoughts positive. Shane's alive... and she'd be damned if he didn't make it through this.

"Shane has not regained consciousness since he arrived at the ER. We did some CT scans and he has some evident swelling on the brain. It was not severe enough to call for surgery but we are treating it with medications designed to reduce the edema."

Vince nodded, wanting the doctor to continue. As the doctor's explanation of Shane's injuries continued, he walked over and sat down next to Linda, taking her free hand in his. He laced his fingers with hers, hoping to give her some sort of comfort. He felt lucky that she hadn't pushed him away. In her place, Vince is sure he would have cast himself away. It's a good thing his wife is not like him.

"His other injuries are relatively minor in comparison. He suffered a broken left wrist, three fractured ribs and a lacerated liver. There was some internal bleeding along with the injury to the liver. We have been monitoring it and it appears that the wound is healing itself, as they tend to do. We hold a positive outlook for Shane to make a full recovery, pending an examination upon him regaining consciousness."

Vince hadn't realized he had been holding his breath until he let out the long, relieved sigh upon hearing the words the doctor spoke. Was it possible? Was his son going to be alright? He glanced at his wife, who had a small, hopeful smile on her face. "Vince. He's going to be alright; Shane's going to pull through this."

Vince's attention turned to Dr. Masterson again when the doctor asked if they had any further questions. Vince could only think of one. "Can I see my boy?"

Dr. Masterson nodded. "Of course. They will have him in a room shortly and you and your wife can go see him. One at a time though."

Both Vince and Linda could live with that.

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Within an hour, Linda returned to the waiting room where Vince was waiting with Stephanie. Vince had opted to let Linda go see Shane first. When she returned her eyes were red-rimmed but they still held hope in them. That was a good sign.

Vince stood upon Linda's return to sit with Stephanie, who was still curled up asleep. He let out a soft sigh and wiped his hands on his pants before heading down the hall to Shane's room. He paused outside the door. He could hear the beeping of the monitor hooked up to Shane. Vince realized he was scared. He was absolutely petrified to walk in there and see how Shane looked; how his fight with his son had hurt him physically. Despite his fear, Vince pushed forward, walking into the room.

His eyes landed on Shane's still form on the bed. That was the first thing that stood out to Vince. Shane was still. That was so uncharacteristic of his son. Shane was always moving around, always active. His son was the child who knew no fear; his daredevil. The boy had given him more than one scare over the course of his short life. But nothing like this.

Vince sat down in the chair at Shane's bedside, watching the rise and fall of Shane's chest. It was easier than looking at how small his son looked in the bed or how pale his face was. Vince reached out and grasped Shane's hand carefully, the undamaged one. The warmth of his son's hand reassured him. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Vince spoke.

"Shane. Shane, it's Dad." A pause, then his soft words continued. "I am so sorry about everything, Shane. I didn't know... about your feelings. About what your sister had told you. I want you to know that there is nothing further from the truth. Your mother and I love you just as much as we love your sister..."

Vince reached up with his free hand, pressing them against his eyes. He felt the sting of tears but did not want to let them fall. He had to be strong for Shane right now. "Shane... you are my son. There's nothing you could ever do to change my feelings for you. I'm so, so proud of you. The minute I held you for the first time I was so proud to have this... this tiny little boy with brown eyes just like mine. I knew you would accomplish great things. And you have... so far you have. There is a lot more for you to do though, Shane. That's why you have to get through this..."

Vince's voice cracked on those last words and he had to stop talking. He rested his forehead on the bed next to Shane and listened to his breathing, to the sound of the heartbeat coming from the monitor. His son was alive and he had to hold onto that.

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**And that's Chapter 3! I'm sorry for leaving it there but the chapter would have been out of control if I had continued, I think. As always, thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 is upon us already! I know it's a little bit shorter than normal but the next chapter should make up for that. I hope you are all still with me and always leave me comments or suggestions! **

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Chapter 4

A full week passed before Shane finally awoke. The fear that Shane would not wake up at all had built up to almost a fever pitch inside of Vince when he finally heard his son's voice. Vince had fallen asleep keeping vigil over Shane. It was 5am and a very soft, very croaky voice spoke, almost drowned out by the sound of the ventilator. "Dad?"

It took Vince a moment to register that he'd been spoken to. He had made it his personal mission to never leave Shane's bedside. Despite the efforts of Linda and the hospital staff alike, Vince wouldn't budge to do more than use the restroom or to stretch his legs. He felt responsible for Shane's accident and he would be damned if there was a single minute that Shane was alone. He wanted Shane to know that his family loved him. Vince opened his eyes finally and locked eyes with the confused brown eyes of his son.

"Shane-O..." The relief was palpable in Vince's tone and his eyes stung for a brief moment before he blinked the sensation away.

"Dad... where am I?" Shane looked around the unfamiliar surroundings; he realized by the sterile smell and the sound of machinery around him that he had to be in the hospital. The fear in Shane rose as he couldn't remember anything about how he got here. Why was he in the hospital?

Vince sensed the anxiety in Shane even before the sound of the heart monitor reflected the change in his son. "Shane... shhh, its okay." Vince soothed. "You're in the hospital. There was an accident and you were banged up pretty good. But you're okay... you'll be just fine." Vince squeezed Shane's hand reassuringly and Shane calmed down, the monitor's sound going back to a normal pace.

"What kind of accident, dad? Where's mom? Where's Steph? Are they okay?"

Vince nodded. "Yes, son, your mother and sister are fine. They spent the night at home and should be back in a couple of hours."

Shane nodded his understanding, resting his head back against the pillows. He was still not clear on what had happened. Why was he here? His eyes threatened to close again but he forced them back open. He spoke up again, his voice softer, his need for rest evident. "Dad... why am I here? What kind of accident was I in?"

Vince shook his head; his son needed his rest. "Shane, you need to sleep, son. I'll explain everything to you later. Right now, rest. Please." Vince was gently stroking Shane's hair, something he knew that would settle Shane down when he was upset or scared as a boy. It worked like a charm. Before Shane could utter another word his eyes drooped closed and he was asleep.

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Three days later Shane was being wheeled out to the SUV his mother and sister had brought to pick up Vince and Shane from the hospital. Shane inhaled the fresh air, albeit not as deeply as normal with his healing ribs. Shane carefully stood from the wheelchair and accepted some help from his father to get into the vehicle and get buckled in. Shane still knew little about what happened but he refused to question it. This change in his father... this... nurturing side of him... it was nice.

When Vince had Shane settled into the back of the SUV, he climbed into the front seat to drive them back home. The ride was quiet, with the exception of Stephanie chattering away at her brother; she was more than excited to have him coming home again. Much to Shane's surprise, he was happy to have his sometimes irritating sister's voice fill in the silence. Stephanie had not been nearly as bratty as normal, either. This, though, he was willing to question. "Okay, what gives?"

Stephanie looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Shane gave Stephanie a pointed gaze. "Usually you're not this nice... its kinda creepy. What's the deal, Steph?"

Stephanie looked down at her hands in her lap, her voice soft when she replied, "I missed you." Her big blue, now watery eyes gazed up at the brown eyes of her brother. "I'm sorry..."

Shane frowned a little, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair. "What are you sorry for, Stephanie?"

Stephanie sniffled, rubbing her eyes, not wanting to cry in front of her brother. "For being so mean... I don't hate you Shane."

"Oh, Steph..." Shane reached over, gently making Stephanie look up at him again, as her eyes were cast downward again. "Hey... it's okay. I know you don't hate me." Shane gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't cry."

Stephanie smiled a little, wiping her eyes yet again. "That's better. That's the little sister I know."

The exchange between brother and sister made both Linda and Vince smile. Linda reached across the center console and squeezed Vince's hand. At this moment in time, it looked like their family would be okay.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you, as always for the wonderful reviews. They keep me inspired. **

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Chapter 5

Shane's first couple weeks back home went similar with his family. His father, mother and sister all made an effort to take care of Shane and make sure he did not feel as though he was being left out. It was all very strange and hard for Shane to accept. What was wrong with his family? Were they abducted by aliens while he wasn't looking? While he was happy to be included and shown affection, he couldn't help wondering when the other shoe was going to drop.

That fear was playing through his mind at the dinner table, where he sat with Stephanie and Linda; Vince was gone at a show. Shane, who usually had a very healthy appetite, had barely touched his food. Instead, he was pushing it around the plate with his fork, distracted by his thoughts.

Linda sighed softly, reaching over to touch her son's arm gently. Shane looked up and offered Linda a small smile. "Shane, what's wrong? You've barely touched your food. Are you feeling okay?" Linda reached up, feeling Shane's forehead for a sign of fever.

Shane smiled more, shifting away from his mother's hand, blushing a little under her scrutiny. "Mom... I'm fine. I'm not sick."

Linda pulled her hand away once she was convinced that Shane did not have a fever, reaching for her glass of water. Before she took a drink, she asked, "So what is it? Something's troubling you."

Shane sighed, looking at his mother, deciding this was the opening he needed to ask some questions. "Mom can I ask you something?"

Linda smiled warmly, setting her fork down next to her plate, focusing her full attention on Shane. "Of course you can."

Shane met his mother's gaze, his brown eyes serious. "What happened... y'know, that night. The night of the accident."

Linda's smile faltered a bit. Even though she had prepared herself for the question, she was afraid of the fallout from her answer. She had no intention of lying to him. "Stephanie, could you please excuse us?"

Stephanie pouted - it's not like she didn't know what happened! "But moooom!"

Linda turned to her daughter, giving her a pointed look. "Stephanie Marie... go, now."

Stephanie sighed dramatically, exiting the dining room in a huff. Linda shook her head, turning her attention back to her son.

"Shane, you had been out past curfew. You came home and you were a little loud coming in. Your father was waiting for you. You know how he gets when he's here and you break the rules."

Shane nodded; he was more than aware of his father and his temper.

Linda's pause stretched out a little longer than was comfortable for Shane. His stomach sank. This couldn't be good. "Mom?" His tone gave away his anxiety.

Linda squeezed her son's hand reassuringly. "Shane, you and your father got into an argument..." She closed her eyes tightly, the scene replaying in her mind. She did not want to tell Shane his father hit him but she refused to omit information. "You yelled at him, he became enraged. Shane, he hit you. That's when you took off. You grabbed the keys from the rack and ran out the door... he couldn't stop you. Your dad tried..."

Shane could see how hard it was for his mother to relive what happened. He put his injured hand over his mother's, squeezing gently with his fingers. "Mom? It's okay... I'm okay." Shane assumed that it was her fear of hearing about the accident that was going through her mind. Before he could try to reassure her any further, he registered fully what his mother had said. "Wait... Dad hit me?"

Linda reluctantly nodded, watching Shane, trying to gauge his reaction. The shock was evident. "Yes, he did. Shane, he felt absolutely horrible about it. Especially after Stephanie told him how you felt."

Shane's eyes widen. "What do you mean 'Told him how I felt'?"

"Shane, we didn't know, baby. We didn't know..." Linda reached to stroke her son's cheek but he moved back.

His voice sounded small, scared. He asked the question although he suspected he already knew the answer. "What did she tell him?"

"She told your father that you didn't feel you were loved... that we didn't care about you. She also told us that she reinforced the idea. Shane, that is not in true in the least little bit. We love you so much." Linda attempted to reach for Shane again, slowly. This time he let Linda cup his cheek.

"Mom... don't. I wondered why everybody was acting so strange. You don't have to pretend for me..." Shane's words were a whisper, full of the anguish he's going through inside.

"Shane we're not pretending. We just didn't know how you felt. You never said anything to either of us."

Before Linda could continue, Shane stood up. "Can I please go to my room?" His eyes met Linda's again, pleading with his gaze.

As much as Linda didn't want to let Shane go until he understood how much she loved him, Linda agreed. "Yes, baby. You can go to your room. Please think about what I said, okay?"

Shane nodded and made a beeline out of the dining room as quickly as his sore body would allow, going up to his room, closing himself inside.

Linda watched him go, a small pit of fear growing in her stomach. She was afraid for her son's emotional well-being and she hoped that he would come to her if he needed anything.

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Shane closed the door quickly once he reached his bedroom. He locked the door, leaning back against it, closing his eyes. It was then that he allowed himself to really process the conversation with his mother. His dad hit him? Stephanie had told his parents that he felt unloved? Shane's eyes squeezed tighter as he fought off the sting of tears.

Shane walked over to his bed, grateful that he hadn't changed out of his pajamas today. He slid between the covers, pulling them up to his neck in an effort to make himself invisible. His thoughts went back to his family... Was it all an act? Did they feel guilty so they treated him better to assuage their guilt? He was so confused right now. He wanted to believe his mom, he really did. It's hard to erase feelings that stem from years of what Shane felt were clear signals.

Shane rubbed his forehead; man, he had a headache. He assumed that it was from all of the emotion of the last few minutes along with the way he practically sprinted up the stairs. Shane turned to his bedside table, reaching for the prescription pain medication that had come home with him from the hospital. He tapped two pills out into his palm, quickly swallowing them dry. Shane lay back down, curling up as much as his sore body would allow and tried to sleep.

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"Linda, why did you tell him all of that? He's still healing from the accident. What if he'd taken off again?" Vince was less than pleased when his wife had called him later that evening, telling him about the conversation she had with Shane and his reaction to it.

Linda sighed, rubbing her temple. "Vince, I wasn't going to lie to him. I wasn't going to leave things out. He would have found out and then what? He's having a hard time as it is believing that we love him. Imagine if he found out later that we hadn't been forthcoming with him. Any progress we would have made would have been out the window."

Vince thought about his wife's words. She's right, as much as he hated to admit it. "You're right, of course. But now he's locked exiled himself to his room. I just hope that after some contemplation he will see that we aren't simply placating him."

"I think it will take a lot more than one conversation and a couple of weeks of actually giving him what he had been lacking to convince him." Linda was about to speak again when a loud, fearful scream cut her off.

"Oh no..." She whispered, dropping the phone, effectively ending the conversation and going to the aid of her son.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for the extra bit of time it took me to update this story. I hope you all will enjoy this installment! **

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Chapter 6

Linda ran up the stairs as quickly as she could, going to Shane's bedroom. She tried opening the door but found that he had locked it. She pounded on the door as loud as she could, calling out to her son. "Shane! Shane open the door!"

Upon receiving no answer Linda tried the handle again, even though she was well aware it was locked. It was that unrealistic hope that somehow the door would no longer be locked between her and her son. While doing this Linda remembered that she and Vince had a key for each of their kids' rooms. She went quickly to the master bedroom, opening up the safe they had in their walk-in closet. She grabbed the ring of keys and headed back to Shane's bedroom door, trying each key until she found the correct one to let her into her son's bedroom.

When she opened the bedroom door Linda saw that Shane was in bed, sitting up, covers pulled around him as tightly as he could. She could see the fear etched on his features. She walked to the bed, sitting down on the edge, reaching a hand out to gently touch her son's leg. Shane flinched at the contact but Linda did not pull her hand away. She spoke his name softly, "Shane? Honey, are you okay?"

Shane, for his part, remained silent. He turned his gaze to his mother's face and the only description to what Linda saw in her boy's eyes was one simple word; haunted. Tentatively, Linda reached up to cup his cheek, watching his eyes close. Shane didn't flinch or move away from his mother this time so she took a chance, shifting closer so she could gently pull her son into her arms. To Linda's relief, Shane leaned into her embrace, allowing her to provide him with some semblance of comfort. Linda didn't attempt to question Shane at that moment. All she wanted to do is try to bring him any little bit of solace she could give him. Slowly she felt Shane's body relax against hers. A tiny sigh of relief escaped her lips. At least she was still able to comfort her son.

His voice was soft when he spoke up about ten minutes later, surprising Linda, as she had thought he had fallen asleep. "I'm sorry, Mom."

Linda closed her eyes, replying softly, her tone reassuring. "No, honey. Please don't apologize. You have nothing to apologize for." She gently combed her fingers through her son's dark hair, hoping to keep him calm as she asked her next question. "Shane? What was your dream about?"

She felt Shane sigh heavily, waiting patiently until Shane spoke again, his voice barely above a whisper. "I remembered..."

"Remembered what, baby?" Linda suspected she knew but she wanted to hear it from Shane.

"The fight with Dad... the accident." Shane reached up to quickly wipe his face. He didn't want to fall apart any further in front of his mother.

"Oh, honey..." Linda had expected that maybe the incident between Shane and Vince would be recalled, but when he added that he remembered the accident, Linda's heart broke for him.

"It's okay, Mom. I'll be okay."

"Oh, Shane. I don't know what it is you remembered.. what you went through... but I am so sorry you had to go through that alone. If I could make it go away I would." She hugged her precious son a little more securely, being mindful not to hurt him still.

"I know you would, Mom." His soft words, this admission, made his mother's night. Her words earlier had gotten through to him.

Shane yawned, shifting just a little bit, but not trying to extract himself from his mother's comforting hold. Instead, he settled against her, not wanting to be alone. Linda was glad that he had not asked her to leave. Stephanie was already in bed and Vince could wait to hear from her until tomorrow if necessary, although she would probably slip away long enough to give him a quick call. She settled in and held her son while he fell asleep again, her hand gently rubbing his back in a soothing motion. She reminisced about how long it had been since Shane had leaned on her for support, first with a smile and then it dawned on her. Shane had pulled away because he didn't think she loved him. Her smile slipped away and she blinked back tears. She vowed at this moment that Shane would never feel that way again, definitely not where she was concerned.

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It was a full hour after Shane fell asleep that Linda carefully released her hold, tucking her son in before she went to call Vince. She knew he had to be going crazy with worry. Once she was downstairs, she picked up the phone, calling the phone in his hotel room. He answered quickly, the worry evident in his tone. "Linda?"

"Yes, honey. It's me." Linda immediately explained, saving Vince the trouble of having to ask. "Shane had a nightmare. He remembered the accident and the fight between the two of you."

Vince sighed; he had been afraid of that. "How is he now?"

"He's okay. He was sleeping when I left the room. I'm going to stay in with him tonight. He was so shaken up, Vince..."

"Of course he was. We have no idea what he recalled from that accident." Vince paused briefly, then added. "I'm coming home first thing tomorrow. We need to have a real conversation about this. I want Shane to know that I'm not just placating him by treating him well when I'm at home. I want him to see that I'll drop everything to help him."

Linda smiled at her husband's words. She was glad that he was willing to take the extra step so Shane understood that he was a very important part of his father's life. "I think that is something that he needs. It will be some of the best medicine for him."

Vince nodded. He could hear the fatigue in his wife's voice. "Honey, why don't you go and get some sleep? Stay with Shane if you must but please, sleep."

Linda smiled at her husband's show of affection. "I will. You get some sleep, too. Especially if you are coming home in the morning."

"Yes, ma'am." Vince smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too, honey. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

Vince hung up and Linda set the phone in its cradle to charge. She yawned as she stood up. She was very tired. She climbed the stairs, heading back to her son's bedroom. She was happy to see that he was still resting peacefully in his bed. She went into the room, leaving the door open just a crack. She settled in next to Shane, back where she had been before going to call Vince, pillows adjusted behind her back so she could rest comfortably. Shane shifted over, obviously sensing her presence again, resting his head against her side. Linda smiled, closing her eyes as she rubbed Shane's back again. She fell asleep shortly afterwards, neither her or Shane waking again until the following day.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I am so sorry it took me so long to update! School has been kicking my butt with homework, finals, etc. But here is another chapter; shorter than I wanted it to be but I didn't want to have it drag out too long either. I hope you enjoy and review! **

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Chapter 7

When Shane awoke the next morning, his mother had left the room already. He caught the scent of waffles in the air and smiled to himself. Waffles were his favorite. He could get used to the spoiling his mother was providing. Shane stretched as much as his still sore body would allow and slid out of bed. He took a quick shower and changed into a pair of jeans and a white Hulk Hogan t-shirt before walking downstairs to the kitchen. He was about to open his mouth to greet his mother when he saw his father sitting there, too. In an instant Shane went from feeling carefree to guarded. He shuffled into the kitchen, sitting down at the table quietly, his eyes downcast.

Linda had been talking to Vince, facing the doorway leading into the kitchen from the living room when Shane had approached. She saw him take in the scene, spot Vince in the kitchen and the way his posture changed, his expression changed. She watched her son return to the introvert he had been prior to last night's conversation. Linda inwardly sighed and put a smile on her face as she greeted her son. "Hi, honey. Are you hungry? I made your favorite."

Shane nodded and smiled at his mother. "Yeah, please." He risked a glance over at Vince and saw his father looking his way. His eyes went quickly to the plate that his mother put down in front of him. Shane reached for the butter and then the syrup, busying himself with eating his breakfast.

Vince noticed how Shane seemed almost skittish as he sat next to him. Vince decided to wait and see if Shane spoke first or if he would have to take the initiative. After several minutes of silence on the part of his son, Vince finally spoke up. "Good morning, Shane. How are you feeling?"

Shane had been so consumed in his thoughts he almost didn't hear when his father spoke to him. After a moment's pause, he replied, "Hi, Dad. I'm fine, thanks." His eyes never rose from his plate and his voice barely could be considered above a whisper.

Vince glanced at his wife, who gave him an encouraging smile. Vince gave her a thankful look and spoke again. "Shane I think we need to talk about what happened. About what your mother told you last night."

Shane glanced up then, shaking his head. "No, it's okay Dad. There's nothin' to talk about." Shane didn't want to cause any problems; the fear he had of his father now was almost debilitating. He didn't want to say or do anything to bring it out again.

Vince saw the look in his son's eyes and it killed him to see the fear contained in them. As selfish as it seemed, Vince wished they could go back a night and not reveal any information about that night to Shane. If it would erase the look in his eyes right now, Vince would sell his soul to the devil to make it happen. "Shane… You don't have to be afraid to talk to me. I know that I was severely out of line the night of the accident and if I could take it all back I would. I hope you know that."

Shane nodded in response to his father's words. Truth was, he believed him. If his Dad had been more prone to beating the hell out of him it would be different. He'd had the occasional discipline session but aside from that Vince had never laid a hand on him; especially never in anger. Unfortunately, it didn't matter if Shane believed him. He was still practically shaking just sitting there under his scrutiny.

Before Vince could try to make any more progress with Shane, Stephanie came into the room, squealing in delight when she saw Vince. "Daddy!" She scrambled across the room as quickly as possible, wrapping her arms around her father happily.

Vince hugged his daughter tightly, kissing her cheek, pulling back a little to meet her happy blue eyes. The love shone there was a relief after seeing the fear in Shane's eyes. "Hi, Princess."

"Daddy, why are you home? I thought you were traveling? Is it because of Shane? I heard him scream last night…"

Shane tensed when Stephanie spoke those words, mumbling something about being full and not feeling good, taking his plate quickly and depositing it into the kitchen sink, half eaten waffle still on it and headed out of the kitchen. Vince looked at Linda helplessly and she shook her head, indicating to give Shane some time to himself before trying to talk to him.

Vince nodded and turned his attention back to his daughter who was chattering away at him to fill him in on the week he had missed at home. As much as he wanted to focus on her happy stories, in the back of his mind all he could focus on was how Shane's brown eyes first shone fear and then the disappointment of Stephanie interrupting their conversation. He sincerely hoped he was doing the right thing by letting Shane have some time by himself; he hoped it wouldn't do more harm than good to their already precarious relationship.

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Shane leaned against his bedroom door once it was closed and locked between him and his family and finally took a deep breath. He held his hands out in front of him and saw how they shook. He hated how weak he felt and how his body betrayed his feelings. '_What the hell is wrong with me_?' he thought. '_I'm a McMahon. We fight, we don't cower in the corner like a coward_'.

Before he knew it, Shane was pacing the length of his bedroom, his hands clenched in fists. He was so frustrated with how everything had fallen apart; getting caught coming home late, his father hitting him, getting into the accident and now all of this girly feeling's crap coming out and making him look ridiculous. He had to do something about it… but what? All he knew for sure was that he had to get out of this house. It was driving him insane.

Shane paused in his pacing, instead making the steps take direction and purpose. He walked to the closet, grabbing a black jacket with the WWF logo on it, pulling it on. He pulled on socks and shoes and debated his next move. Does he go grab his keys and walk out in front of everyone? Shane sighed and shook his head. No, he'd go out the back door. Shane peeked out of his bedroom and saw the coast was clear. He quickly and quietly made his way to the back door without being seen and slipped out. Once he was sure he was in the clear he headed straight to Rodney's house. He needed some male bonding time and to forget all of stuff going on at home.


End file.
